Circuit breaker



P. E. KLOPSTEG ET AL CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Sept. 1. 1922 May 24, 1927.

May 24,1927.

P. E. KLOPSTEG ET AL CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Sept. l. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1,629 711 May 24 1927 P. E. KLoPsTEG ET AL CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed sept. 1, 1922 4 sheetssneet :s

PA ii 69 .'1 V

i S 67 l l l i if@ WM 592%@ 2L Patented May 24, 1927.

uNrraD` STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL E. KLoPsTaG AND WINFIELD II. sTANNAnD, or HoMEWooD, ILLINOIS, A8- sIeNons rro CENTRAL SCIENTIFIC COMPANY, oF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- TION. F ILLINOIS.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

Application levd September This invention relates generally to current breakers for regulating physical conditions, such as temperature, pressure, vacuum, liquid level. humidity, etc., and its primary objects are to provide pressure bctween Athe electric contacts without thereby losing sensitivity of control. and to provide for continuous reliability of said ycontacts by eliminating arcing when the contacts break. We have found that our invention is especially adapted to the control of ternperature in a liquid bath, such as the viscosimeter bath, and as this is a simple illustration of an advantageous use of the invend tion we will proceed' to describe it as einbodied with a viscosimeter in an oil bath. The specifications promulgated by the America-n Society for Testing Materials for the testing of oils require that the viscosity shall be determined at 100 F. (37.8o C.) 130o F, (54.4 0.), or 210o F.. (98,90 o.) and that the bath in which the standard oil tube is immersed shall be maintained constant within .25 of a degree, F. (0.14". 0.), at such temperature as will maintain required temperature in the tube.

The Saybolt standard universal viscosimeter specified by the society, however, provides no means capable of maintaining thebath constant within several degrees of the necessary temperature, and, as a consequence, it is practically impossible to perform the viscosity tests in strict compliance with the specifications. Furthermore, the means supplied by the Saybolt viscosimeter for stirring the oil in the standard tube and the oil or other liquid iii the heatingbath. are so inefficient and incompetent that the liquids cannot be maintained unil'orni throughout, their volumes or masses.

In addition, there is no means provided for N,

causing the oil in the bath to circulate and move along, or impinge upon the standard oil tubo as is necessary to properly raise the temperature of oil within the standard tube to conform to the temperature of the liquid in the bath. Y.

Having regard to this special use ofthe invention. its primary object is to overcomev the defects and objections hereinbcfore set forth and to provide a viscosimeter tliatwill perxiiit oils to be tested in strict compliance with the specilicationsbf thev American Society of Testing Materials.

1, 192g. Serial No. 585,625.

Further objects of the invention are to 56 provide means for circulating and heating theJ oil in the standard oil tube so as t'ov produce and maintain uniformity of tem era- -ture throughout the mass to be -teste to provide means for heating one or more samples of oil to the proper temperature prior to introducing them into the standard oil tube so as to eliminate delays heretofore incident to raising the temperature of the oil in the tube to the required degree; to provide a stirrer for thoroughly mixing the oil or other liquid in the bath and at the same time producing a proper circulation through the bath and about the standard oil tube; to maintain the bath at a selected temperature constant within a very small fraction of a degree; and to provide a thermosensitive circuit controller in which the contacts operated by the sensitive element are not separated whilethe actuating current is passing through them.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds and the description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating selected embodiments of the invention, and in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a viscosimeter embodying principles of this invention taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on the lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views illustrating modified forms of stirring means for the oil under test;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a wiring diagram. 95 Referring to the drawings, and articularly Fig. 1, 10 indicates the stan ard oil tube for the oil to be tested. It is equipped at its upper end with an overflow cup 11 and at its lower end with a neck having a small passage l2 opening into a tube 13 which is closed by a cork stopper 14 having a cord 15 attached 'thereto to facilitate withdrawal. rllhe tube 13 is preferably threaded to the neck 14 of the oil tube, as indicated in the drawing. The oil tube is immersed in a bath of oil, water, or other suitable liquid in a container or vessel 16, which is equiplped with a cover 17 and is surrounded on t egsides and .bottomtby an `insulatmg jacket 18 which is covered by an outer cas- -ing 19. This casing is provided with suitnumber of coils may be used and they may be arranged variously.

In order to properly stir-and circulate thel liquid in the bath, we provide a helical propeller 29a carried by a shaft 30, which is Journaled in a tubular bracket 31 extending down from the cover 17. The blades of the propeller preferably pass between the heating coils and move close to the wall of the bath vessel' so that by'thei'r cutting action A the will thoroughly mix the liquid in the bat force it to travel over the surfaces of t e coils and clrculate through the bath and na out the standard tube 10. In the preferred arrangement, the propeller is rotated so as to draw the oil down from around the coil 25, force it around the coil 24 along the bottom of the vessel up and around the standard oil tube 10, and along the`top of the vessel .to the coil 25.

A motor 35 is preferably supported in i' some convenient position, as below the casing on thebracket 36 and drives a vertical 'shaft 37 which extends above'the cover 17 and carries a pinion 38 meshing with a gear 39,?which in turn meshes with a pinion 40 on the shaft 30. A pinion 41- moving with` gear 39 drives a gear 42 on`a vertical the shaft l43, journalled in the bearing 47, carriedby the cover 17. ,The npperend of this shaft 1s equipped with a pulley 45 which receives a belt 46 for driving the stirrer in the standard oil tube. p ,l

We preferably provide a' plurality` of tanks or'vessels 32 (Figures 1 and ,2), here lshown as two in number arranged on each side of the standard oil tube 10. These vesl.but preferably sels may -be supported in any suitable way,

have flanges 33 at their upper edges which rest onlink-shaped brack\ ets 34, supported onthe sides of the casing. These vessels should be shaped to present a very large surface for Contact with the oil in the bath in proportion tofthe amount of test oil contained so that the latter 'may be quickly brought to the temperature of the i bath.

In the preferred construction, illustrated inFig. 1, la bracket 47 carried by the clover 17 has a tubularl bearing 48 in which is ]our nalled a thermometer support in the form of a hollow shaft 49 having a collar 50 securedl to its upper end by a set screw 51. Just below the bracket, the shaft 49 carries a pulley 52 aligned with the pulley I45 and receiving the belt 46. A thermometer 53 is equipped with a cork 54 or other friction device which rests on the upper end of the thermometer support and suspends lthe bulb of the thermometer in the Standardoil tube.

A helical Vstirrer 55 is carried by the bulb endiof the thermometer and serves, when the shaft 49 is in motion, to thoroughly mix and circulate the oil to be tested. The cutting action of the helical stirrer mixes the oil next to the wall of the tube with the oil on the interior and at the same time causes a circulation along the wall vertically and through the middle of the tube.

The cork 54 is' preferably provided with handle 56 and the bearing 48 is equipped with an arm'57, to which a stop 58 is pivoted so that the latter may be moved mto the path of the handle 56 to hold the A,thermometer stationary during a reading.

The cover 17 is provided with an opening 59 to receive a plug 60 carrying a thermometer 61 for indicating the temperature of the bath liquid.

An alternative form of stirrery for the oil in the standard tube is shown in Fig. 4

Where the hollow shaft 62 is mounted in a bearing 63 corresponding to bearing 48 in Fig.' 1, and equipped at its lower end with a plurality of legs 64 extending down into the tube and carrying several helical propel- 1ers 65. A thermometer is suspended in the hollow shaft from an arm 66 on the bracket `67. This form. of stirrer has the advantage-v that the thermometer is always stationary, and if the helical propellers are suicient in number or are in the form shown in Fig. 1, thestirring and circulating action. is very satisfactory. K loss of heat due to the conduction of the legs 64, which introduces an element of error.

Another form of stirrer is illustrated in Fig. 5 where the thermometer 68 is support- However, there is a certain ed by a cork 69 in a tube 70 which is held A by spring clips 71 on the bracket 72 that is mounted on and oscillating about the shaft 73.

groove 76 cut in the upper surface of the gear 77 which corresponds to the gear `42 in Fig. '1. This form of stirring means elimi- The bracket has an arm 74 provided with a pin 7 5 adapted to run in a/n eccentric nates to a large extent the error Vcaused by conductance, but it is not as eilicient inl mixing and circulating the oil as the otherV forms'shown. l

The current in the heating unit is con-` trolled' by a thermosensitive element here illustrated in the form of a bimetallic helix 78 having one end secured to a tube 79 and the other end secured to a rod 80. The tube Cul 79 is rotatably mounted in a base 81 supported on the colver 17, and carries a Worm gear 82 meshing with a Worin 83, swiveled in a pivoted block 84 and held in operative position by the spring 85. Theupper end of the rod carries the lever 86 which is equipped with a silver contact 87 adapted to contact with a silver casing 88 surrounding a magnet carried by. the shaft 43. This magnet includes a core 89, and a winding 90 and rotates with the shaft 43. Above the magnet the shaft is provided with a spool 91 having a brass or other metallic contact piece 92 which is interrupted, as indicated at 93, by a piece of insulation or a piece of metal insulated from the contact piece 92. The casing 88 is connected to one end of the magnet Winding and the contact strip 92 is connected to the other end. A plurality of contacts 94 and 95 corresponding in number to the coils 24 and 25 engage the strip 92 and the interrupter 93. The wiring diaram is illustrated in Fig. 9 Where 96 and 97 indicate theopposite sides of the line, and 98 a switch leading` to the heating coils 24 and 25 which are connected by the wires 99-99 to the contacts 94 and 95. The magnet 100 comprising the core 89 and the winding 90 is for convenience shown outside of the casing 88. From the magnet.,1 the current passes through the arm 86 and back to the opposite side of the line 97.

In order to prevent. destructive arcing when the circuit is broken` condensers 101 and 102 are connected across the contacts 94 and and the coils 24 and 25., An auxiliary contact 150 serves as a common connection for the condensers. Y

When the shaft 43 is rotated, the circuit Will be broken eachtinie the in'terrupter 93 reaches the contacts 94 and 95, which will de-energze the magnet 100. and it the temperature or' the bath is above the desired constant, bi-metalliccoil 7 8 will swing the arm 86 and move the contact 87 away from the casing 88. The arm 86 is equipped with a curved armature 103 so that the magnet will exercise a powerful attraction for Ithe contact 87. The circuit will remain open until the thermosensitive element brings the contact 87 against the casing 88 when the magnet Will be energized and the contact 87 will be drawn tightly against the casing 88.'. This tight engagement coupled with.`

the Wipingaction produces a good connection in spite ot' the presence ot dirt. oil and the like and makes the device reliable under the normal conditions of service.

The circuit will be broken at each revolution ot the shaft 4?). but since the interrupter represents a small angle in the circle of the strip 92, it will be immediately closed if the temperature of the bathl is below'the desired constant; but if the temperature of the bath is above the desired constant, the inagnet will release the armature 103 and permit the thermosensitive element to freely open the circuit. @ne result of this construction is a snappy action of the contacts in opening and closingr and a good ti ht contact when closed. Another very desira le result is that the contacts controlled by the thermosensitii-'e element are never separated when power current is flowing through' them. rlhis reduces areing to a minimum. On account of the snappy movement of the contact 87, we provide an arm 104 rigid willi the arm 86 and'secure thereon a lvane 105, which extends down into a bath of oil or other fluid 106 in a suitable container 107. This prevents vibration when the Ycontacts open or close.

rlhe invention provides very accurate control of the temperature of the bath liquid which may be varied 'within a wide range. T he adjustment ot' the thermosensitive clement may be formed according to the invenp tion claimed in our 'cov-pending application, Serial No. 562,438, filed May 20, 1922. The stirring means insures that all the liquid in the bath is atthe same temperature and Will movealong the Surface of the standard tube so as to quickly bring the latter and the test oil therein to'the temperature of the bath liquid. rlhe strrer in the standard tube 1nsu'res that the test oil is at a uniform temperature throughout. The thermosensitive con-trol device not only insures that the bath will remain at the constant temperature while the necessary readings are being taken and the test is initiated, but it provides av control that will not. permit the bath to rise above the. constant temperature as the test quickly than is possible where the circuit is broken at the thermally operated contacts while the heating current is on.

rl`he arrangement of the contacts in the thcrmosensitive circuit controller reduces arcing to a minimum and insures quick and A accurate opening and closing of the circuit. lVe have mdicatcd the general scope of the yinvention and have described a particular application thereof which we consider important. To adapt the invention tor controlling other physical conditions will require some changes in the form. construction and a rrangcment of parts depending upon the dierent conditions and we therefore desire to have it understood that We reserve the right to make all such changesas fairly fall Within the scope of the following claims:

le claim: i 1. In a thermo-sensitive current controller,

the combination of a` magnet, a plurality of separable contacts, a thermsensitive element adapted to open and close said contacts, means for periodically breaking thev circuit, and means for resisting the opening of said contacts until the circuit of said magnet is broken.

2. In a thermo-,sensitive current controller, the combination of a magnet, a plurality of separable contacts, a thermosensitive element adapted to open/` and close said contacts, means-for periodically breaking the circuit and means to increase the pressure between said contacts as soon as they close.

3. In a thermo-sensitive current controller, the combination of ya plurality of separable contacts, a thermosensitive element adapted to open and close said contacts and disposed in a medium whose temperature is to be controlled, an electromagnet adapted to inluence one of said contacts, and means for periodically breaking the circuit of said magnet.

4. In a thermo-sensitive current controller, the combination of a plurality of separable contacts. a thermosensltive element adapted to open and close said contacts, a magnet adapted to pressy said contacts together, and

. means for periodically breaking the circuit of saidmagnet.v K 5. In a thermo-sensitive current controls,

ler, the combination of a plurality of separable contacts, a thermosensitive element operatively connected with one of said contacts and disposed in av medium Whose temperature is to be controlled, an electromagnet adapted to control said contact,and means for breaking the circuit of said magnet at regular intervals. '6. In a thermosensitivecurrent controller, the combination of a moving element having an interrupted and a continuous contact surface, a contact adapted to engage said interrupted surface, a second Contact adapted to engage said continuous surface, a thermosensitive element Y adapted to move said second contact, and means for resisting the thermosensitive element untiltbe interrupted surface 'opens the circuit.`

7. In a thermo-sensitive current-control ler, the combination of a moving element having an interrupted and a continuous con'- tact surface, .a cont-act adapted to engage said interruptedsurface, a second contact adapted to engage said continuoussurface, a therlnoseusitive element adapted to movb said second contact, and an electromagnet in circuit with the saidv contacts and the A{riterrupted surface and adapted to influence the second contact.

8. 'In a thermo-sensitive current controller, the comb1nat1on of a rotatable element havmg a continuous contact surface and an interrupted contact surface, a movable contact adapted to co-operate with said continuous surface, a thermosensitive element for moving said movable contact, a second contact adapted to co-operate with said interrupted surface, and an electro-magnet in circuit with said second contact and adapted to influence the first contact.

9. In a thermo-sensitive current controller,'the combination of a rotatable element having a continuous contact surface and an interrupted contact surface, a movable contact adapted to co-operate with said continuous surface, a thermosensitive element for moving said movable contact, a second contact adapted to co-operate with said interrupted surface, and a magnet in serieswith said contacts and said interrupted surface and adapted to draw said movable Contact towards said continuous surface.

10. In athermo-sensitive current controller, the combination of a rotatable element having a continuous contact surface and an interrupted contact surface, a movable contact adapted to co-operate' with said continu' ous sur ace, a thermosensitive element for moving said movable contact, a second contact adapted to co-'operate with said interrupt-ed surface, and a magnet 4in series with said Surfaces and contacts and tending to close said movable contact with said continuous surface;

li 11. In a thermo-sensitive cufrent controln 1er, the combination of a rotating element havin an interrupted Contact surface and a continuous contact surface, a magnet within said continuous contact surface, a movable contact adapted to cooperate with said continuous surface and be influenced by said magnet,'a thermosensitive element for moving said movable contact, and a second contact adapted to engage said interrupted surface and be connected in vseries with said magnet. t

12. In a current c ontroller for ph sical conditions, the combination of a plurality of separable electric contacts, a magnet adapted to draw Isaid contacts together, a separate periodic breaker of the magnet circuit, a Nane connected with one of said contacts,

and a fluid bath in which said vane is immersed. Y f

13. In aicurre'nt controller for physical conditions, thecombination ofl a plurality of separable electric contacts, the position of one ofsaid contacts being determined by the physical conditionto be controlled, a mag- "net adapted to produce pressure between` said contacts, and a separate interruptor in circuit with said contacts andadapted to brk the circuit of said magnet at inter- Va.

14. In a current controller for physical conditions, the combination of'a plurality of separable electric contacts, the position of one of said contacts being determined by the physical condition to be controlled, a magnet adapted to produce pressure between said contacts, and meansdistantfrom said contacts for breaking the circuit of said magnet at intervals.

l@ l5. In a current controller for physical conditions, the combination of a plurality of separable electric contacts, the position of loneof which is controlled by the physical condition to be controlled, means in circuit with said contacts, for producing pressure between said contacts, and meansfor interrupting the controlling circuit including said contactsl and pressure producing means.

PAUL E. KLOPSTEG. v WINFIELD H. STANNARD. 

